Antifriction insert for springs



A. V. GULLBORG ANTIFRICTION INSERT FOR SPRINGS Filed Jan. 5, 1923 YE[JFK Arthur. Y. Gu/fborg A'DI Patented June 16, 1925.

PATENT creme.

ARTHUR v. someone, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANTIFRIC'IION' rnsnnrroasrainss." l

Applicationfiled- January 5, 1923. Serial No. 610,766.

To call whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1., ARrrHUa V. Grmn' BORG, a citizen of the United:States, anda reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe numerals of reference marlredthereon,which forma part of thisspecification.

TlllSlDVGlliZlOIiT'BlLtES to an anti-friction insert for springs and thedevices disclosed herein embrace improvements on the devices dlsclosed1n my co pend-m'g application for patent, Serial 311,548, f led July17th, 1919.

i It is an ob'ect of the present invention to provide an anti-frictioninsert for springs of such construction as to exclude dirt and otherforeign matter from entrance between the spring leaves and contact withthe antifriction members.

It is also an important. object of the pres ent invention to provide ananti-friction insert wherein the anti-friction members are substantiallysurrounded by raised portions of the retainingmaterial for said members.

A further important object of this invention consists in the provisionof a. substantial closure at the outer edges of a space between theretaining material of the insert and the spring leaves.

Other and further important objects of the present invention will beapparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanyingdrawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is shown on the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

()n the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a typical leaf springwith antifriction inserts embodying the present invention positionedbetween the leaves thereof.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one form of insert.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8' are plan views each illustrating anarrangement of raised portions or ridges which may be employedin theanti-friction spring insert of this inventlon,

' As: shown on. the drawings:

The anti-frictioninserts of this invention comprisestrips of material 1which. are of substantially-the same width as the spring leavesibetweenwhich they are to be insorted and the endsof which are preferably formedto conform to. the configuration of the endsof the spring leaves. Saidstrips of material 1 are preferably formed of pa per,.pulp or othersuitable materialwhieli is adapted towear by: attrition, and hasimbedded therein or otherwise suitably associatedtherewith a pluralityof anti-friction. members: which are relatively hard as com.- pared tothe spring leaves and which prefmay comprise hardened steel balls 2.Said balls 2 which are ordinarily of such diaineter'that they projectfrom either side of thestrip. of material 1 in the manner indicated inFigure 3, are adapted when said strip. 1 is placed between adjacentspring leaves to wear initial guideways in the strip of material 1 dueto. the movement imparted thereto by the relative movement of saicaspring. leaves. Initial guideways formed in the strip of material serveto temporarily retain the anti-friction members or steel balls in apredetermined path of movement and the continued relative m-ovement ofthe spring leaves soon causes the/balls, which are of harder materialthan the spring leaves, to wear guideways or grooves there in and thusthe positioning of the balls 2 between the spring leaves serves togreatly reduce the friction therebetween and to enhance the freerelative movement thereof.

The present invention provides means which are effective in preventingthe entrance of dirt or other foreign material between the spring leavesadjacent the strip 1. Means which are provided for this purpose compriseridges 3 and 4 which,as shown in Figures 2 and 3, are formed bycorrugating the material of said strip so that said ridges extend fromthe plane thereof on both sides to substantially the plane of orslightly beyond the plane of the extremities of the balls oranti-friction members 2. In the form of insert shown in Figure 2, ridges5 and .6, similar t the ridges 3 and 4, are formed in the strip 1 insidethe ridges 3 and 4.

In. Figures 4 to 8 inclusive, I have illustrated various designs andarrangements of protecting ridges similar to the ridges 3 and 4, Figures4 and 8 illustrating designs wherein individual balls 2 are surroundedby annular ridges 7 which are connected by continuous ridges 8.

In the forms shown in Figures 5 and 6 substantially peripheral ridges 9,similar to the ridges 3 and 4, are supplemented by short, discontinuousridges 10 intermediate the balls 2.

By corrugating the strip 1 to form the arions ridges it is possible tomake the same slightly resilient so that they contact the surfaces ofadjacent spring leaves, affording a line contact lQQQ-WGQH said surfacesand said ridges which is effective in preventing the entrance of anydirt or foreign material therebetween. The ridges are made of the properheight relative to the diameter of the balls or anti-friction members 2to afford such a contact with the spring leaves, and while as beforestated said ridges are preferably formed by corrugating the strip 1, itis apparent that the same may be formed independently of the strip 1 andaffixed thereto in any suitable manner. Vfhile these ridges areprimarily employed for the prevention of the entrance of dirt or otherforeign material between the spring leaves, it is apparent that theywill also effectively act to retain a lubricant for the anti-frictionmembers in association there- With.

I am aware that details of construction and the arrangement of theridges may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention,and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereonotherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my 111vent1on: 1. The combination with a leaf spring, of

strips of relatively soft material positioned between the leavesthereof, relatively hard anti-friction members between said leavesassociated with said strips of material, and raised resilient portionson the strips of terial for preventing the entrance of foreign materialbetween the spring leaves.

2. The combination with a leaf spring, of strips of relatively softmaterial positioned between the leaves thereof, relatively hardanti-friction members between said leaves associated with strips ofmaterial, and integral ridges on the strips of material for pre ventingthe entrance of foreign material between the spring leaves.

3. The combination with a leaf spring, of strips of relatively softmaterial positioned between the leaves thereof, relatively hardanti-friction members between said leaves associated with said strips ofmaterial, and ridges extending from each surface of the strips ofmaterial for preventing the entrance of foreign material between thespring leaves.

4-. The combination With a leaf spring, of strips of relatively softmaterial positioned between the leaves thereof, relatively hardanti-friction members between said leaves associated with said strips ofmaterial, and means formed by corrugating said strips of material forpreventing thc entrance of forh eign material between the spring leaves.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof twe snbscribing witnesses.

' ARTHUR V. GULLBOL'EG. lVitnesses:

CARLTON HILL, OSCAR HARTMANN.

